The Sweet, The Bitter And The Damn Right Cruel
by IzumiGuardian
Summary: "Prompt 1 - #Shine: The favourite part of Hitsugaya's day had to be waking up... " Just a few prompts about our favourite boys and their time together.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi all :) I'm having a bit of a writer's block with my other stories so I thought that I would write some fairly meaningless prompts for our favourite boys... All these prompt were taken from a random word generator.**

**If you have any prompts that you would like me to include the PM me or write them in a review :)**

**ENJOY :D**

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**_PROMPT 1 - #SHINE_**

The favourite part of Hitsugaya's day had to be waking up. Not because he was a morning person - prior to contrary belief, he was most definitely _not_ a morning person - but it was because he enjoyed basking in the mellow morning sunlight. But - most of all - it was to see the man lying beside him, the light of his life, obilvious to the world, and his orange crowned head positively glittering in the sunshine, shining like a halo. Now _this... _This he could wake up to for the rest of his life...

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**_PROMPT 2 - #FUTILE_**

A blur of orange and black sped past, air tousling the vibrant locks.

"TOSHIRO! TOSHIRO, WHERE ARE YOU?" the orange crowned teen screamed desperately, only to be replied to by silence. Swallowing the bile that rose in his throat, he ploughed forward, frantically searching for his tiny lover amongst the rubble and debris.

"TOSHIRO, PLEASE! ...Please..." His hope fading, the last word was nothing more than a broken whisper. Who knew that Aizen had planted a bomb with in his own body - a sort of last ditch attempt at ending the Soul Society if he were to loose the war. The substitute stumbled, tripping over his own feet, finally halting. He sank to his knees, contemplating the futility of the situation.

"Mmm..."

The orange crowned head snapped round at the pained groan, chocolate eyes searching desperately for the source of the agonised moan.

"T-Toshiro...?"

"Mmm..."

There. He had pinpointed it. A huge slab of what looked like a roof, possibly a bit of an outside wall, lying at a funny angle. Scrambling to his feet, hooking his callused hands round the concrete, he gave an almighty heave, his strained shoulder screaming out in agony. Clenching his eyes shut, Ichigo gave on last push, praying that what was underneath wasn't more than he could handle... The concrete landed on the ground with a thud, bits flying off here and there, the whole piece splitting down the middle.

The orange crowned teen slowly, oh so slowly, turned around, dreading what he already knew he was going to see. There, lying face-down in a pool of his own blood, was his tiny lover. Never, in all the time he had known the tiny captain, did Ichigo ever this he seemed defenceless or vulnerable - despite his appearance or stature. But right now, the boy looked so exposed, so unprotected, that before the teen knew it, a sob rose in his chest, tearing out of his throat. Crouching down, he rolled the snowy crowned captain over, bending down to place a tender kiss on his cracked lips.

"...Ichigo..." Teal eyes cracking open, his hand making to cup the substitute's tear stained face, but not quite making it.

"Shh..." said the substitute, gently lifting the injured boy off the blood-stained, eliciting a whimper. "Let me get you out of here..."

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**_PROMPT 3 - #MUTANT_**

"Don't you ever believe a word they said. Do you hear me?!"

"But they said - "

"I don't care what they said, they were just stupid kids from Rukongai! Godamn it, Toshiro, you are _not_ a freak!"

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**_PROMPT 4 - #BLUNT_**

"You'll be there all day if you do it like that... Why don't you just use the proper tools?"

"Because I made a bet!"

"A bet? With whom, Ichigo?"

"Renji... Whoever can get there zanpaktou the sharpest using just a rock wins..."

"Isn't it sharp enough yet? You've been out here for hours."

"Oh no, no, no. I am _not_ losing this!"

"Why are you getting in such a state, it's just a silly bet."

"The loser has to run round the Kuchiki mansion naked, _and _deal with the consequences if we get caught!"

"Oh dear Lord! Why do I have anything to do with you?!"

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**_PROMPT 5 - #DEFORMITY (part 1)_**

Slowly, the bandages that had been covering the captain's face for months were unwrapped, Unohana's expert hands carefully detangling the mound of white cloth. Ichigo knew his prickly lover had been burnt badly - he had known from instant he laid eyes on his screaming lover. The image of the snowy boy clutching his face, writhing around in pain, was not one that would ever leave him. It's safe to say that the Espada that thought it would be funny to see the tiny captain cry out in sheer terror was no longer breathing... Ichigo and Rangiku had made sure of that.

The final bandage was unwrapped and the fiery substitute waited on baited breath as the motherly captain moved out of the way. The left side of the captain's face was completely marred by scarring, the wax-like tissue spreading from him misshapen ear to one side of his nose and down to just above his barely-there Adam's apple. Cautiously, teal eyes cracked open - after months in the dark, the captain was nearly blinded by the sunlight. The motherly captain understood the boy's discomfort and shut the blinds, dimming the light to a more bearable level. After a few moments, cerulean eyes opened completely, his right eye sparkling like freshly-cut diamond, but his left was matt and foggy, the place where his pupil should have been was glazed over by a white film like substance just below the surface, completely unseeing.

None of that mattered to Ichigo, who was grinning like an idiot - he was just glad to see his lovers face (scarred or not) again. To him, the tiny captain was still the most beautiful thing to ever grace this universe.

A small hand lifted to feel the newly uncovered skin, fingertips tracing there way over the scars, as if trying to map his new face.

"I'm afraid we weren't able to save your left eye, Captain Hitsugaya. The scars will require extensive looking after - I will be prescribing you an anti-inflammatory moisturising cream that will need to be applied daily to you face and twice daily to the scaring on you back, chest and sides. If you don't, the scars will harden and make it hard for you to breathe and move."

"Thank you, Captain Unohana" the small captain managed to say, still clearly in a daze. The motherly captain bowed, exiting the room, sensing the two boys needed some time alone.

The firey substitute walked across the private room, a warm smile adorning his face. Teal eyes snapped to look at him when a callused hand brushed over the unscarred part of the prodigy's face. The teen bent down for a kiss, his lips only just meeting the cracked ones before he was pushed away, petite hands shoving him almost harshly.

"You don't have to pretend..." the captain mumbled, eyes cast downwards, dragging his knees up to his chest, the teal eyes so clearly portraying hurt and disgust.

Slightly shocked by the unexpected emotions, the orange crowned teen sat down on the bed next to his lover, slipping a finger under the marred chin, tilting the snow topped head upwards, forcing the captain to look at him.

"What's this about, Toush? Pretend what?"

"You don't have to pretend like I'm still attractive, like you find me attractive...I'm hideous..."

Black blocked out his sighted eye, leaving him completely blind to the world, as the tiny captain was pressed against a solid chest, cocooned within the orange-topped teen's arms.

"Don't you ever, _ever_, say that to me again. Hitsugaya Toshiro..." the teen pulled away slightly, bending down to be press his forehead on his lover's "You are the single most beautiful thing in this world to me, no matter what happens, no matter what you do, that will always stay the same, I promise... I love you so, so much..."

The captain gave no verbal reply, just snuggled a little more in the substitute's hold, a small smile pulling at his singed lips. Maybe... Just maybe, life wouldn't be as bad as he thought...

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**_PROMPT 5 - #DEFORMITY_****_(part_**** 2)**

A contented sigh left the tiny captain's marred lips as callused hands ran over his back, massaging the soothing cream into his injured back. As the warm hands travelled up his back again, the snow crowned boy couldn't help the small moan that escaped his lips. The fiery teen chuckled and dipped down to plant a kiss on the boy's uninjured cheek. Slipping his hands under the lithe body in front of him, he delicately rolled his lover over to lay on his back. He had been massaging the snow-crowned captain's back for over an hour now - and it showed. Teal eyes were only just cracked open, the snow-topped head rolled floppily onto the broad shoulder as the substitute moved him, the thin frame completely limp in the teen's hold. Ichigo knew the tiny captain wouldn't be able to stay awake much longer

"Mmm..." the prodigy moaned, not wanting to be moved from his _very_ comfortable position on the futon.

"Shh... I got you, Toush... Easy..." the fiery teen bent down, kissing the pale forehead, before spreading the cream over his hands. Gently, he started massaging it into the boy's thin chest, praying that this would actually work. Unohana had given the tiny captain strict instructions, telling him that - in the long run - the burns would eventually feel like normal skin, provided - of course - he looked after them well. The orange-crowned teen knew it was going to be a long road to recovery, however, he planned to be with his diminutive lover every step of the way. Honestly, the fiery teen couldn't wait for his lover to recover - it was border-line agony watching his once incredibly capable and independent lover struggle with everyday tasks: He couldn't train like he used to, after all, he basically had to re-master all his techniques to adapt to only being able to see out of one eye. He couldn't even do his beloved paperwork as sitting on the office chair strained his fragile back too much. And, the most heart-breaking of all, was that his poor baby dragon couldn't even breathe properly, the scars on his chest and back constricting the movements of his diaphragm. As if to prove his point, there was a soft snore from just in front of him. Chocolate eyes gazed at the slumbering boy with a mixture of affection, concern and protectiveness.

Finishing rubbing the cream into the slowly rising and falling chest, the fiery teen shifted so he was next to the snow-crowned head. Tender touches gently spread the healing cream onto the marred flesh on the boy's face and neck, the orange-topped teen taking care as to not wake the exhausted captain - a task in itself when said captain was as lighter sleeper and one Hitsugaya Toshiro. Satisfied with his work, the substitute placed the tube to one side. He then gently lifted the unconscious boy so he was lying on his side, in the hopes that he could breathe a little easier. Pulling the comforter over them, the fiery teen braced the warm bundle in front of him, protecting his somewhat noisy slumber from the rest of the equally noisy world. Placing a chaste kiss on the pale forehead, the teen settled down, snuggling into the futon.

"God, I hope you recover quickly... I promise you, I'll never let you suffer like this again..."

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**TA-DAA :)**

**I know there aren't that many prompts there but I still hope you enjoyed it.**

**R+R... You know you want to...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi all :) Another installment of completely pointless one-shot prompts... **

**Well, ENJOY :)**

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**_PROMPT 6 - #ABANDONED_**

"Where is he?!" yelled a positively livid voice, echoing across the halls of squad 12.

"My, my... There is no need to yell... Rest assured he's in a safe place... Though I must say studying the hollowfication process has turned out to be fascinating." the clown-faced captain remarked as if he were talking about the weather; not a person's life. Petite hands clenched into tight fists, teal eyes practically glowing, icy reiatsu flaring creating an ominous glow around the frosty prodigy.

"Mayuri, I will only ask you one last time..." everyone froze, the tone much too calm and much too menacing for anyone within ten miles to feel safe. "Where is he?"

"Honestly, I don't know why you're making such a fuss... He's only one human aft - "

The leering tone was cut short by a gut-wrenching scream of pure agony. The tiny captain spun on his heel, and sped towards the heart-breaking noise, praying that he was not too late.

He ran full-pelt at the door, turning slightly just before impact to ram the wooden slab off its hinges with his shoulder. Inside, the prodigy saw three unseated members, one pinning his lover to the floor, another trying to shove a needle with some ghastly looking off-yellow fluid into him whilst the third was sitting in a corner, wearing a nonchalant expression, holding a clip-board and a pen, documenting what was happening. The three men looked startled by the captain's sudden appearance, and proceeded to scamper out of the room once they heard the captain growl out a threatening command.

"Get. Out. NOW!"

Glowing teal eyes watched them leave, making sure that they were not coming back, before turning to his lover who was laying stark naked on the cold tiled floor. The snow-crowned boy walked up to the prone body, kneeing down and gently turning him over.

Startled chocolate eyes snapped open, limbs flailing wildly, fists trying to make contact with whomever else was in the room.

"NO!" he screamed, the teen's voice breaking, trying desperately to roll away from the other.

"Ichigo... Ichigo, shh..." the captain spoke softly, his voice barely above a whisper. Avoiding the thrashing appendages, dainty hands reached down to cup the bruised face.

All movement ceased as shaking chocolate met strong teal.

"...T'shiro..." the teen slurred, his drug-addled mind taking a ridiculously long time to work in the way he wanted. The prodigy smiled, slipping out of his captain's haori and draping it over the shuddering figure - whether the violent tremors were from cold or fear, no one knew (however, the quick-minded prodigy had a strong suspicion they were from the latter).

Slipping his pale arms under the battered chest, the captain shifted his lover until the orange-crowned head rolled onto his shoulder - the snow-topped boy almost cringed at the limpness of his lover's body, all the tension gone from the exhausted teen.

"Ichigo..." the captain whispered, pulling away to see his lover's marred face.

"...Mmm..."

"Are you still with me?"

"Mmm..." As if to prove the point, chocolate eyes cracked open to look at his lover through his eyelashes.

"Good... How do you feel? Are you in pain?"

The orange-topped head rolled slightly on the narrow shoulder, a weak attempt at a shake of the head.

"Good..."

Silence overtook them for a few minutes, both of them enjoying the safety, the simplicity and the overwhelmingly whole feeling they both shared at the moment - Ichigo revelling in the safety of his lover's embrace; Hitsugaya overwhelmed with the sheer magnitude of relief at his lover just being _alive_. Neither of them knew just how many minutes passed between them, but the almost nostalgic reunion was only broken by a weak whisper.

"...You came..." _Thank you for loving me enough to be my rescue…_

"Of course, Ichigo... I would never abandon you to that kind of fate..." _Any time, my love…_

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**_PROMPT 7 - #REBEL_**

The snowy captain was actually surprised to find out that his brash lover wasn't actually the rebel everyone thought he was. Even more astonishingly, he learnt, one night, that his gentle hearted lover didn't actually go looking for trouble, and that - in fact - it usually just managed to find him.

They had been walking home from Ichigo's school - the captain had met him after class so they could spend some time with each other - when four large men came round the corner, carrying baseball bats and rugged looking bits off wood. The prodigy would never forget the way the chocolate eyes flared up protectively, tanned hands quickly grasping the boy's shoulders, pulling him onto the other side of the teen - it took the captain a moment to realise what the carrot-top was doing: he was putting himself between the captain and the thugs.

"Oi you!" Both boys froze, the orange-topped head snapping round to face the men. "Nah! Not you, we want nothin' with you, just your pretty little friend over there..."

"Not. A. Chance." growled the fiery teen, rolling his sleeves up.

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**_PROMPT 8 - #INQUISITIVE_**

There were very few times when Ichigo caught his prickly lover acting like the child he so resembled, however, when he saw the tiny captain sitting on top of the kitchen counter cross-legged, clad only in one of his old t-shirts, sweatpants and some power white ankle socks, staring intently at the microwave, he couldn't help the chuckle that passed his lips.

"What're you doing, Toush?"

"How on earth does this thing work?"

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**_PROMPT 9 - #THIRSTY_**

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"What do you want?!" the harsh icy voice resounded from within the 10th Administrative Office, teal eyes just daring whoever was on the other side of the door to open it.

"It's only me..." the handle turned and in walked the newly appointed 5th division captain.

"Hmff..." the tenth captain scowled and returned to his paperwork, categorically ignoring his lover.

"Here," a voice said from beside him, a tanned hand setting down a steaming cup of tea on the solid oak desktop. "If it's not too much to ask, try not to get home too late tonight, love. I know you're busy but I miss you..."

Sighing when he still got ignored, the orange-crowned captain dipped down to place a chaste kiss on the porcelain cheek, whispering in his lover's ear.

"I love you..."

Dropping another kiss on his lover's temple, the fiery captain stood up making to leave the room, slightly hurt at being treated so coldly.

"Ichigo, wait..." the orange-topped man turned round, an eyebrow quirking upwards. Chocolate eyes watched as the small captain stood, gracefully making his way over to the couch, cocking his snow-topped head as an invite for the other to come over.

"Do you have much work?"

"Nah... Just finished for the day..."

"...Will you stay with me?" Slightly puzzled by the delayed and extremely quiet reply, the orange-crowned man sat down next to his lover, chocolate eyes shining with questions.

"You know the answer to that, love. Of course I will, why?"

"I didn't come home at all last night..."

"Yeah, I know. Or the night before for that matter. What're you getting at, Toush?"

"I'm tired..."

And just like that, all of the seemingly random statements and murmured questions fell into place, making complete sense in the carrot-top's brain.

"That's because you haven't slept for two day. Do you honestly wonder why I worry about you so much? Now, come here...I'll stay with you until you wake up, and you don't have to be so bloody ambiguous about asking for something. I'm your husband, Toush. I'll do anything for you..."

With a contented sigh, the snow-topped boy nestled his head on his spouse's broad chest, snuggling into his readily offered warmth. The carrot-top shifted until they were both lying down on the couch - well Ichigo was on the couch, Hitsugaya was curled up on top of him. Within minutes, the snowy captain was completely relaxed against Ichigo's chest, limp in his arms, and entirely reliant on his husband for protection, deep in the midst of slumber. With a small chuckle, the newly appointed captain laid a butterfly kiss on his sleeping lover's forehead. He loved his husband with all his heart, he really, truly did; but sometimes, just sometimes, he wished that his spouse wouldn't make it so hard for him to figure out what was going on in that genius mind of his.

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**Ta-Daa :) R+R... You know you want to...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi everyone... Yet another instalment of completely pointless prompt :)**

**Well enjoy ...**

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**_PROMPT 1 - #TEACHING (part 1)_**

They were about half way through the final maths paper when Hitsugaya looked over to his lover's desk, concern flitting through the teal orbs when he saw his beloved lying face down, fast asleep. Poor Ichigo had been worked off his feet trying to keep hollows in check, studying for his finals and - as if that weren't enough for the overburderned teen to deal with - this was the week of the his mother's death. The prickly captain had requested a week's leave from his post to stay with his fiery lover, knowing how tough a time this was for him. Nightmares had plagued the orange-topped teen's sleep, leaving his exhausted and - to add insult to injury - to scared of the dreams to fall asleep. It was only natural that his body would give out at some point.

It was just incredibly frustrating that it decided to give out half way through his final maths exam.

Teal eyes burned with determination - he'd be damned before he let cruel fate and fatigue stop his lover from passing his test. He rubbed out the 'Hitsugaya Toshiro' at the top of the page, replacing it instead with 'Kurosaki Ichigo'. The snow-topped head looked up, checking the teacher was still engrossed in his marking, before reaching across, noiselessly slipping the test paper off his lover's desk, replacing it with his own. After all, waking up his unconscious lover would be no use at all - he was too exhausted to think properly, let alone finish an advanced maths paper. And besides, the small captain was only here to keep his lover company and comfort him during the difficult month of June; he didn't need to pass this test.

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**_PROMPT 1 - #TEACHING (part_**** 2)**

" - 's the end of the test everyone, pens down now." the teacher's voice startled the fiery teen from his sleep. Chocolate eyes widened as he saw the teacher take his paper from his desk.

_Oh shit! This is NOT good! _

Teal eyes looked at his distressed lover, the orange topped head in his hands, the tones chest rising and falling much too rapidly for his own good.

"Well done everyone! I look forward to marking them all! Class dismissed." the teacher said, before exiting the room. The snowy captain stood and knelt beside his lover.

"Ichigo..." he murmured, putting a petite hand on the teen's thigh as a rare gesture of comfort.

"What the fuck is wrong with me? Jesus, I've completely screwed up this time." self-disgust evident in his tone of voice.

"It's not your fault, you're overworked and exhausted right now, something was going to give. Besides, don't worry, I took your paper and finished it, you'll do fine."

The orange crowned head snapped up, chocolate eyes widening to the size of a full moon.

"You took my paper?! And did it?!"

The captain chuckled at his lover's exclamation, chocolate eyes positively shining with relief and happiness.  
Before he knew it, tanned arms wound round his shoulders as the teen pulled him into a warm hug, nuzzling the crook of the captain's neck.

"Thank you so much, Toshiro..." he whispered, laying chaste kisses on the milky white skin.

"It's alright." the captain replied, smoothing down the wild orange locks, chuckling at the ticklish feeling at his neck. "Any time, Ichigo..."

* * *

**_PROMPT 2 - #STEAM_**

The snow crowned soul reaper let out a sigh of contentment as he leant against the tub in the steaming room. It was Friday and he had requested the weekend off, meaning he had two whole days just to relax and spend time with his newly-appointed-captain of a lover, who had - too - taken the weekend off.

He heard the bathroom door slide open, followed by soft padding getting louder as it travelled in his general direction. The snow-crowned captain couldn't help but smile as a callused hand threaded its way through his hair and a soft kiss was laid on his forehead.

"Hey... I didn't keep you waiting, did I?"

"No. I just came back from the office. What time did you finish?"

"About 20 minutes ago... Jesus, I never realised how much work captains had... I'm shattered!"

The snowy captain chuckled at the carrot-top's statement, reaching out a soapy hand to clench in Ichigo's haori.

"Come in..." he murmured.

"M'kay, just give me a second. Let me get out of my uniform."

Hitsugaya closed his eyes, relaxing further into the bathtub, as he heard the rustle of his lover's clothes being shed. If the prickly captain was brutally honest, when his fiery lover got promoted to captain status, he had no idea how and if their decade old relationship would be able to work or not. They barely got to see each other beforehand, and there was even less time now. However, all those worries seemed to be for nothing. Somehow, as if by some small miracle, they seemed to get along better than before. Now that they were able to fully understand the burdens and strains put on the other, there seemed to be a deeper, more concrete understanding between them; one that didn't need words or explanations, it was one that simply allowed them to be at peace with one another and allowed them to cherish the time they spent together - even if it was limited.

"Move over, love." a deep voice resonated from about the snow-crowned head.

The lithe body shifted slightly to accommodate a larger one. Once the novice captain was settled, Hitsugaya shuffled so that he was half lying across his lover, his lean arms wrapped round the broad chest, his head nestled on the tanned shoulder. Ichigo's own arms came and wrapped around the slim waist, pulling the body in his arms closer still, so that even the water in which they bathed didn't dare separate them. The orange-topped soul reaper nuzzled the pristine spikes just beneath his chin, breathing in that wintry scent.

They were going to be okay. Despite everything, they were fine.

* * *

**_PROMPT 3 -_**** #LEAD**

The snowy captain moaned, desperately trying to get away from whatever was waking him. He rolled over, snuggling into the broad chest, trying to return to sleep.

Then it hit him.

It hit the small captain faster than a speeding car. The thundering of his lover's heart and the rapid breathing, coupled with the small whimpers and moans - almost sounding like that of a wounded animal. His poor lover was having a nightmare. And not just any nightmare - it was one about a rainy day in June. Tomorrow was the anniversary of Masaki Kurosaki's death.

The prickly boy sat up, untangling himself from the stiff arms. He shifted until the orange crowned head was in his lap, leant over and kissed the sweaty temple.

"...Ichigo..." the desperate captain whispered "Ichigo... Please wake up..."

Never before had the snowy boy felt so utterly helpless; sure, he'd witnessed Ichigo's nightmares before, but he knew anything regarding Ichigo's mother put it up another level. Hitsugaya had no idea what was going through his lover's mind, and that scared him more than anything. He had no idea what kind of torture the fiery teen was going through and he had no clue how to help.

"Ichigo..." he said, his voice gaining volume as his lover's face contorted in what could only be described as sheer pain and terror.

The he started screaming. It was the singularly most blood-curdling sound he had ever heard, and the teal eyes widened as his listened to the strangled noise.

"ICHIGO! WAKE UP!" he captain yelled above the border-line shrieking.

The teen kicked out as he was jolted awake, his breathing frantic and uneven, his mind taking a ridiculously long detour to separate the dream from the reality.

"SHIT!" the teen yelled angrily, turning over to bury his face in his small lover's lap. Hitsugaya rubbed the heaving back soothingly, his face twisting in concern as his felt droplets of water landing on his legs. The small captain slid down the bed, shifting them both so the orange-crowned head was resting on his chest. He wound his arms round the broad shoulders and Ichigo twisted a fist in his t-shirt, clinging to his like a lifeline as he cried. There was no sobbing from his lover, no anguished cries; just a few muffled sniffs and hitched breaths, but the pain was evident. It was obvious how much the over-burdened teen pined for his mother, how much he missed her and - more than anything else - how much he needed her. But, as cruel fate would have it, she was never coming back, and Ichigo knew this more than anyone. So he got on with life and put on a brave face, not showing the rest of the world how much he was hurting - but the snow crowned captain knew, and though he rarely saw it, it was the times like these that showed him the extent of that pain.

"...Did I wake you up?..." the muffled whisper came from the crook of the pale neck.

"Don't worry about it." the captain relied, drawing soothing circles on his lover's back.

"...M'sorry..."

"I said it's fine, really. It's not your fault."

"...Thanks, 'Shiro..." the small captain chuckled at the slurred words.

"Can you go back to sleep?"

"... I think so..."

"Good. Now, pull the covers up, you feel cold."

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**Taa-daa :) Izumi out :)**

**R+R... You know you want to...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi All :) Just a quick note.  
**

**If anyone has any prompts they want me to write then please PM me or write them in a review :) I really enjoy doing them and would love to do some that my readers want to see too :D**

**That aside, ENJOY :)**

* * *

**_PROMPT 1 - #HOPE_**

"...It's over... It's finally over..." his husband's broken whisper was the only thing that broke the stunned serenity that had draped its heavy cloak over the Soul Society.

This was the first time in history when captain, lieutenants, unseated soul reapers and residents of Rukongai breathed as one, looked up to the sky and savoured this one momentous moment. Unprecedented peace filled the air, and - despite the devastation and the crumbling ruins surrounding the two men - neither of them could feel anything other than calm tranquillity.

The war was over.

The monstrous, blood-thirsty battle that had threatened to wipe out all life as easily as the tide washes away marks in the sand was over. And they had won; they were safe, alive as was their home. Two chests simultaneously breathed out a breath neither of them knew they had been holding, and two sets of eyes met, filled with the emotion that words simply couldn't express.

"Yes... Yes it is..." the snow crowned boy whispered, edging towards his spouse.

The two lovers silently padded towards one another, the smaller of the two limping on his broken leg. As the two met, their arms intertwined, the orange crowned man dipping down momentarily to lift the smaller off the ground and off his injured leg.

There was no reprimand for the action, no smack or annoyed words; the smaller simply readjusted himself, wrapping his arms round his husband's neck, grateful for not having to put strain on his injury.

"...Ichigo..."

"Yeah."

"Take me home..."

* * *

**_PROMPT #2 - SHAKE_**

"Toshiro... Toshiro!"

Ichigo yelled frantically, jolting his other half awake.

"We have to go... They're here..."

* * *

**_PROMPT #3 - WEIGHT_**

Numbness.

That was the overwhelming feeling spreading through the tiny captain's body. He closed his eyes, trying desperately to come to terms with what he had just been told - though he already knew he would never be able to. No amount of practice would have been able to disguise the agonised look in those stunned teal eyes, no amount of time would ever fill the crater in his chest that used to be home to a heart and no amount of comforting words or loving affection would ever be able to replace what Ichigo had given him.

The tiny captain drew a shaking breath and summoned the courage to look at the kind healer captain.

"Can I see him?"

Unohana eyes tightened fractionally, disguising the wince that had surfaced at the sound of the boy's voice. He sounded so small and hollow; as if a part of his had died, too. Hadn't he been through enough in his lifetime? Hadn't he suffered more than one person should ever had to? The poor boy had only just scratched the surface of real happiness, had only just found his other half...

"Of course. Right this way."

She quietly led the quivering boy to the room where the fiery teen lay, opening the door to let his small frame in.

He just stood there, frozen at the threshold a few steps away from the prone form. As much as it pained the motherly captain to say this, she knew that this was something the boy had to do on his own.

"I'll leave you alone..." she murmured, softly shutting the door, afraid to startle the bereaved prodigy.

Inside that silent room, a pair of teal eyes were staring, unblinking, at the bed. Taking a few cautious steps towards the body of his late lover, the captain braced himself. He clasped the cold hand, lifting it up to press his lips to the knuckles.

"...Ichigo..." a sob escaped the pale lips, tears splashing onto the chilly flesh below. He knees gave out, sending his tumbling onto the bed, the crisp white sheets bowing to accommodate the extra weight. With a great effort, the small captain pulled himself into a sitting position next to the still form.

"...Ichigo... Ichigo... Ichigo..." the name fell from the cracked lips like a mantra, willing the cool body back to life. A pale hand brushed the icy cheek as tears continued to fall. Shakily dipping down, the snow crowned boy kissed his late lover, the abused lips touching the forehead, cheeks, eyelids, nose, lips; anywhere he could reach, one last desperate attempt at rousing his lover from his permanent slumber.

"...Please... Oh God, please..."

He put his forehead on his lovers, his small nose brushing against the chilly one, praying to feel his lover's hot breath on his face as he had many a time before.

But it never came.

And he knew it. The small captain knew that this would be the last time he would see his lover before he was laid to rest under the earth. He sank down under the nightmarish weight and realisation that his lover was truly gone. His small frame curled up next to the unmoving body, wishing more than anything that those stiff arms would come back to life and embrace him, that the still chest would rise again and he would be pressed against it's warmth and, above all, he wished that the sealed mouth would open again, and his lover would be there to tell him that it would be alright, that everything was okay and would kiss away his tears...

But that would never happen...

Not now. Nor ever again.

* * *

**_PROMPT #4 - SILK_**

Ichigo couldn't help but smile like a maniac as he saw his soon-to-be-husband walk down the aisle, his kimono fluttering slightly in the breeze, the turquoise silk catching the light exquisitely, projecting a symphony of shades and hues of blue, somehow matching perfectly with his lover's eyes. _Oh yeah_, Ichigo thought, _he was so marrying this man..._

* * *

**_PROMPT #5 - FIGHT_**

Every time they had argued, they made up pretty quickly, mostly because when Hitsugaya got angry he didn't keep what he said in check and - as a consequence - had ended up saying some hurtful and spiteful thing that he really didn't mean. He would always, _always_, regret it later when he found Ichigo on the verge of tears, curled up in some corner of their house; and when he did, any residual anger he felt would be erased and there would be nothing more to do than pull his upset lover into a hug that almost always led into something else.

* * *

**_PROMPT #6 - DISTANCE_**

Rangiku had been the first one to notice it, and when she did, she teased her captain to no end about it.

When the fiery teen walked around a room, the lieutenant saw her captain unconsciously shift slightly dependent on where his lover was, as if he were subconsciously aware of where the teen was at all time.

When Ichigo reached up to get a book off the top shelf, the captain elongated his back, stretching out his neck as if he were the one reaching for the shelf.

When the teen was stressed out, the white haired boy would tense up.

And when Ichigo was relaxed and affectionate - though it took a bit of time and effort - the tiny boy was too...

_Maybe_, Rangiku thought, _she wouldn't tease him about it so much_...

* * *

**Ta-Daa :D  
**

**R+R, you know you want to...**


End file.
